A guide for the railways of Laos, including domestic and international railway, and planned railways in the future.
Laos Railways
Laos railways maps
Domestic railways
Vientiane-Boten
International railways
Vientiane-Kunming
Vientiane-Bangkok
Vientiane-Udon Thani
Discontinued railways
Thanaleng-Nong Khai
Future railways
Bangkok-Vientiane High-Speed Railway
Vientiane-Vung Ang
Laos railways maps
Map of Laos Railway
Map of Lao-China Railway – by HoboMaps.com
Domestic railways
Vientiane-Boten
[Train at Muang Xai.]
The Boten – Vientiane Railway (referred to as the Laos-China Railway) opened on 2 December 2021, making it the first passenger railway within Laos.
In addition to Vientiane-Boten service, there are Vientiane-Luang Prabang services that operate on this line.
Laos-China Railway travel guide – A guide to the Laos-China Railway from Vientiane to Boten, including tickets, train types, station guides, onboard amenities, and transport to stations.
How to buy tickets for the Laos-China Railway
International railways
Vientiane-Kunming
Vientiane – Kunming train services began on 13 April 2023. There is one service a day in each direction.
Train D888 departs Vientiane at 8:08 and arrives in Kunming South at 19:38 (1 hour ahead in China).
Train D887 departs Kunming South at 8:08 and arrives in Vientiane at 17:38 (1 hour behind China time).
Vientiane-Bangkok
The Vientiane-Bangkok service is an overnight train in each direction. There is a shuttle train between Vientiane Khamsavath Station and Nong Khai Station, and passengers then transfer to a sleeper train from Nong Khai to Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal in Bangkok.
Vientiane-Udon Thani
The Vientiane-Udon Thani service operates once a day in each direction.
Read more about the Udon Thani to Vientiane train service.
Discontinued railways
Thanaleng-Nong Khai
[Thanaleng Station.]
The Nong Khai – Thanaleng railway is an extension of the Northeast Line from Bangkok to Nong Khai. This 4km railway crosses the Mekong River via the First Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge.
There was a railway service operated by the State Railway of Thailand from Nong Khai to Thanaleng. This was timed with the overnight service from Bangkok to Nong Khai, and back again.
This service was discontinued when the line was extended to Vientiane Khamsavath Station.
Future railways
Bangkok-Vientiane High-Speed Railway
Thailand is building a high-speed railway from Bangkok to Nong Khai, which will be extended to Vientiane.
Vientiane-Vung Ang
The Vientiane to Vung Ang Railway is a proposed railway to connect landlocked Laos to the seaport at Vung Ang in Vietnam. This will be for freight trains, and there will also be passengers trains. My guess is that there will be a Hanoi to Vientiane service as a symbolic bond between the two countries.
Red more about the proposed Vientiane-Vung Ang Railway.
This train travel guide is part of the Southeast Asia railways guide.
James this will be SO welcome. Especially since I visited Laos a while back. Busing was a bit rough in the country. The overall system was OK but some long stretches of road were in rough shape. Although folks who sell shock absorbers to buses in Laos must be billionaires by now LOL. Rocking post dude.
Lots of research done for this post…Thank you James for the updated info on Lao Railways.
SAD… now the millions of folks from China can journey to picturesque little towns like Luang Prabang and it will be overrun and completely ruined.
how to apply to rail ways in laos
There is no official website yet.
Tragic that Laos has had to get into so much debt (300 billion i read) so that China can bully their way through the country; China direct to the oil in the ocean, dont care who gets in the way!! Laos will never be the same again. I first went in 2001 and they were just getting their heads around going on buses on Highway 13. How many Laos people will be ever travelling on the train? Thanks for the upto date info. The bridge between Thailand and Vietnam bet they love that too…even the music on that video scared me. SE Asia will be undoubtedly now almos be a Chinese state.
James
Announced yesterday that there will be a 7.5 km railway from Thanalaeng to Ban Khamsavath, as Vientiane City’s station.
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-07/02/c_138192062.htm
The article describes it as ‘…link the existing suburban station to central Vientiane …’ Ban Khamsavath is halfway between the existing Thanalaeng station and central Vientiane.
Thanks Mike, I’ve updated the post!
Hello do you know if bicycles can go on trains, is freight train separately? TIA
Unfortunately no bicycle carriage yet. That seems to be the most asked question, so I hope this is getting through to the railway management. The freight trains are separate from passenger services.